Stanford rejects about 2,000 4.0 and above in Early Decision

Saw this from Ern Sheong's Blog .

Stanford University received 4,600 applicants for Early Decision and of which, they only admit 750 of them. Stanford University also disclosed that they had 2,700 candidates in Early Decision who had CGPA of 4.0 or above (this means that 60% of Early Decision applicants do get 4.0 or above!) and Stanford rejected at least about 2,000 of them, since they only accepted 750 of total Early Decision applicants. And I am sure among those accepted, there are some who didn't get 4.0 CGPA.

Quoting this from Ern Sheong's Blog on Stanford University Q&A

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What criteria do you use when making decisions? Why wasn’t I admitted if I was academically qualified for admission?

We have tremendous respect for the students who apply for undergraduate admission to Stanford. All applicants are carefully evaluated based on the same set of materials. We seek to know each applicant individually and to develop an understanding of the applicant within the context of the resources and opportunities available to that student. Applicants convey their strengths through their academic record, personal essays, recommendations, activities, and by the fluency of their writing.

The two most important criteria for admission to Stanford are distinguished academic achievement in high school and significant potential to achieve at a high level during the undergraduate years. Another criterion for admission is involvement outside the classroom, where we seek evidence of sustained commitment and leadership in school and community activities. We look for students who will make a strong contribution to the Stanford community by demonstrating intellectual vitality and academic leadership, qualities not entirely captured by grade point averages and test scores. Unfortunately, because there are so many exceptional students who apply to Stanford, there are many top students for whom we simply don’t have room. For example, with more than 2,700 early applicants reporting a 4.0 or higher GPA, we were unable to offer admission to all those who presented such outstanding credentials. Ultimately, we are only able
to offer admission to just 10% of the approximately 25,000 students expected to apply.

Sometimes a candidate is denied admission, while someone he or she knows, whose rank in class and/or test scores are lower, is admitted. This occurs both because we value hard-to-quantify personal qualities and achievements, and because schools, programs and individuals vary so widely. While you might know another applicant’s rank in class, GPA and test scores, only admission officers see the entire application, including the student’s writing and teacher and counselor recommendations. Each applicant presents a unique combination of achievement, potential and intellectual vitality, as well as their personal qualities and story. It is the composite of these factors that ultimately influences our decisions.